Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 266

The attack ended with one additional run after the two-run homer, and the game continued amidst shock, terror, and more terror.

The attack in the bottom of the 4th inning was futile, and as the 5th inning unfolded similarly, the spectators filling the stadium began to act more and more strangely. Seeing this, Derek abruptly asked Lee Jung-woo,

“Lee, do you know about the five stages of grief?”

“What, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, that?”

“Oh, you know it well.”

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

The five stages of accepting death, or grief.

First, denial, then anger, thirdly bargaining, fourthly depression, and finally acceptance.

It’s commonly known. Besides death, these are also common reactions humans show when witnessing great frustration or sorrow.

It’s a common sight in everyday life, but Lee Jung-woo tilted his head at Derek’s sudden mention of it. Derek chuckled and pointed to the stands.

“It’s just like that. What the home fans are doing right now.”

At his words, Lee Jung-woo glanced over the stands and couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the miserable sight. It was quite similar to what he said. The Phillies fans, right now, were a mess.

“No, no. Surely not today… No, that’s not it, please.”

“Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkk! Motherf- You son of a bitch! You goddamn Cunt bastards!”

“Okay, let’s stop here. Please, isn’t this enough? That damn bastard should be satisfied with hitting one home run.”

To be exact, the five stages didn’t exactly occur in order. Depression didn’t appear, and acceptance hadn’t been reached yet.

Therefore, the people in the stadium went back and forth between the stages of denial, anger, and bargaining.

Even though the Braves’ attack was in progress in the top of the 6th inning, they didn’t seem to care at all, constantly agonizing.

‘Why the hell are those bastards only doing this to us? Why are our team’s stupid guys only doing this to those bastards?’ They hurled insults out of anger stemming from these thoughts.

Then they begged, saying ‘you’ve already accumulated enough wins, isn’t that enough? Please, let’s just get through today, can’t you just be satisfied with that?’

“They’re seriously out of their minds.”

“Isn’t it better than just cursing like usual?”

“Yeah, but anyone would think Lee, you’re pointing a gun at people.”

“Well, it’s not entirely wrong.”

Especially while looking at Lee Jung-woo in the dugout, Derek, who was leaning on the dugout railing together, chuckled and shook his head at the bizarre sight of the spectators trying to negotiate as if with someone pointing a gun at their face, only to suddenly flip out and curse again.

It wasn’t exactly a gun, but Lee Jung-woo couldn’t completely fail to understand their feelings since he was pointing a long, heavy wooden bat, a weapon, at them.

He also found it a bit amusing.

‘It’s not five stages, but four. Depression… those people aren’t sensitive enough to feel such emotions, so is the next one acceptance? That won’t be easy either.’

As you can tell from it being the last stage, reaching acceptance is quite difficult. Most people usually flounder in the other emotions before that.

So, to reach the point of giving up everything and becoming detached, a huge shock was needed to let go of all the other emotions.

In fact, the Phillies had been miserably defeated in most of the previous games, but they had hardly ever become completely detached. They just got angry, angrier, and bitterly angry.

But today, it might be possible.

‘They’re already almost in a daze. If a straight punch is added here, they’ll just collapse.’

The stage was quickly set.

Top of the 6th, one out. As the spectators, relieved that Rollins, the 8th batter, was out, let out a sigh, Mason walked to first base, as if mocking them, from the pitcher’s spot.

Since most pitchers just throw the ball into the strike zone when facing another pitcher, it was a much rarer sight than even a hit, so the spectators naturally turned to anger again. They hurled all sorts of insults at the pitcher who had done something stupid. Soon, however, they turned to bargaining again.

[He’s having a good game today, isn’t he? Derek Hunt lightly picks out the ball and walks to first base.]

[The pitching is a bit strange right now, isn’t it? He’s giving up consecutive walks. It seems to be a problem with stamina.]

Whether it was because his mentality was shaken by the home fans’ insults, or whether his stamina was simply exhausted, the pitcher gave Derek a walk as well, adding another runner. That soon signaled that disaster had once again arrived at home plate.

“Pitcher change!”

Perhaps it wasn’t just the fans who felt the ominousness, as the bench immediately replaced the faltering pitcher, and the pitcher who came out of the bullpen headed to the mound with a face contorted as if he were about to die. Even that was close to a smile compared to the spectators.

“Ah…”

“Just take it easy, please. You already hit a home run today, right? Damn, we’re not your back pocket. You should be satisfied with that much.”

“Just don’t hit a home run. Just hit a single. Be satisfied with just one RBI [Run Batted In]. That’s enough for you, right? You’re aiming for the most RBIs in a single season, right?”

As the pitcher threw practice pitches, the spectators bargained while watching the player lightly swinging his bat. You’ve already hit a home run, so that should be enough.

Some even said that a single wouldn’t be bad, and in fact, most of them were just tearing at their hair.

‘It’s definitely become more diverse. They used to just get angry.’

It was also fun to watch those faces, so when he glanced at them and nodded to those whose eyes met his, their despair seemed to intensify a little more.

After that brief lull, the umpire gave the battery [pitcher and catcher] a look for continuing to drag out the time, so the break didn’t last long.

The pitcher, who had finished his last refuge, the practice pitches, seemed determined to face him with a determined expression, but it was shattered again as he watched the player walk into the batter’s box.

‘His hitting feel is good. His power is also sufficient. The pitcher is adequate too.’

The left-handed pitcher wasn’t that good. Considering the Phillies’ bullpen, which wasn’t solid, he was just adequate.

Because the changeup’s pitching form was similar to the fastball, it sometimes played a fairly strong role as a main pitch, but unfortunately, that wasn’t going to be enough today.

‘He tends to set his sights on the outside. Since his control and speed are average, I should be safe if possible. It’s unlikely I’ll hit the sweet spot, so I’ll focus a little more on the impact.’

He doesn’t bother picking out the pitch or choosing the course. He just adds a little caution. After finishing his thoughts, Lee Jung-woo entered the box and took his stance, and the game resumed according to the umpire’s in-play declaration.

[Now, it’s a crucial moment. Top of the 6th, with two outs, the Phillies are facing a crisis with runners on 2nd and 3rd base! At the plate is a player who is nothing short of a natural disaster to them, Jungwoo Lee.]

[He hit a fantastic two-run home run in the previous at-bat, scoring the first points. He also hit a good ball in his first at-bat, although he was out. Perhaps one way is to create a bases-loaded situation and face the next batter.]

The catcher seemed to think of him as an inanimate object now. Even though he must be in one side of his vision, he treated him as if he didn’t exist, staring blankly only at the pitcher.

The pitcher also kept his eyes on the catcher to an extreme extent. He felt like he had suddenly become an invisible man because of the battery ignoring him, but he didn’t really care.

After all, there were many people besides those two who would watch him. All the people filling the stands were watching him.

‘Far.’

The ball seemed to be missing the outside by about two balls. The hearts of the catcher and pitcher, who didn’t want to face him in that distant course, were heavily conveyed.

The ball, which seemed to be about 97-98 miles per hour, was a little fast but its power was weak, so if the course was good, it would have been worth aiming for, but it was ridiculously far, so he quietly watched it.

Naturally, a ball. The next ball also flew in with a similar feel, and the slider thrown by the pitcher was so far that the catcher had to quickly get up.

“Yeah! Just walk him!”

“Good job! Don’t let that bastard even think about swinging his bat!”

In an instant, two balls. Usually, the Phillies fans would mercilessly curse their own pitcher or the other team’s pitcher if they were even slightly weak, but now they just nodded as if it was justified.

As if encouraged by that, the pitcher recorded a third ball, and as Lee Jung-woo watched it quietly, the people finally calmed down a little and stroked their chests.

“Yeah, we should be satisfied with each other at this point.”

“He’s giving us a free on-base percentage, so just say thank you and take it.”

Probably a walk. In fact, it was just an intentional walk, but he felt relieved at the prediction that the result would be a ‘bases-loaded strategy’ to reduce embarrassment. The pitcher also seemed a little less nervous at Lee Jung-woo, who didn’t seem to be thinking of swinging his bat.

‘It’s here.’

No matter how others interpreted it, he was just waiting. For the best ball among them. And that was coming now.

Outside. A course that seemed like it would miss a little. Perhaps relieved, Lee Jung-woo welcomed the guest, who was a little closer to the strike zone than the previous ones, with all his might.

With a ferocious wooden bat, two legs like ancient trees rooted in the ground, bulging arms with twitching muscles, a wrist with bear-like strength, and a dynamically rotating waist and sturdy hips supporting it.

“Ah…”

If the thing in his hand was an axe instead of a bat, the people watching him would have involuntarily closed their eyes as if he would knock down even a thousand-year-old giant tree with one swing.

Among them, those who couldn’t bear to close their eyes could only watch blankly with turbid eyes, and most of them let out a low groan like people who had been possessed by something terrible.

[Here it goes! Here it goes! To the center- to the center fence! The ball- goes over! Three-run! Lee hits his 52nd home run of the season in a row! The score is now 6 to 0! It’s the moment when the Phillies sink again in front of Lee!]

[And! With the addition of 3 RBIs! He records 185 RBIs! Together with Lou Gehrig 104 years ago! Jungwoo Lee rises to 2nd place in single-season RBIs of all time!]

Lee Jung-woo, who threw his bat and lightly strolled around the bases, felt that the spectators had reached the final stage.

Instead of cursing or being frustrated, they were just drooping with a detached expression, as if they had burned everything white.

####

[Pedro Castillo, hit it. Between 3rd base and shortstop. Lee caught it and threw it, and at 1st base- out! The Phillies’ last attack in the bottom of the 9th inning also ends futilely, and the score is 8 to 1. The Atlanta Braves take Game 1!]

[By doing so, they achieved 117 wins. The Braves pushed the Cubs and Mariners to 2nd place.]

The last out count went up, and the stadium was quiet even though defeat came at the end of a miserable score difference. Even though they had become the victim of 117 wins, a new single-season record, and even though they had raised Lee Jung-woo, whom they hated so much, to 2nd place in single-season RBIs, the spectators didn’t complain or vent their anger, but just packed their bags and left, and only their low silence and soulless faces told the story of what had happened today.

[Lee decorates the end as well. In this game, 5 at-bats, 3 hits, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 2 walks. True to his nickname of Phillies massacre machine, he completely destroyed the Philadelphia Phillies this time as well.]

[It will be a slightly disappointing ending for the fans. Lee’s performance was so good today that I think we could have expected one more. After the second home run, the Phillies didn’t face him.]

Lee Jung-woo, the person who created this scene, celebrated the victory and the establishment of a new record by lightly high-fiving his teammates. That was the only noise in the stadium, which was quite deserted considering that the record had been renewed after a long time.

However, that was limited to Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Park located there, and of course, the outside was noisy.

[Atlanta Braves, 117 wins. Set a new record!]

[Braves become the team with the most wins in a single season in history! Solo 1st place in most wins in a single season!]

[Jungwoo Lee, who exploded his pent-up power, crushes the Phillies with multi-home runs!]

[185 RBIs. Jungwoo Lee stands shoulder to shoulder with Lou Gehrig!]

First of all, there was plenty to talk about. The renewal of the most wins, Lee Jung-woo’s home run, and the accompanying RBIs that rose to joint 2nd place. Even if they were separated, they were topics that would be talked about for several days.

In particular, many people were talking about Lee Jung-woo, who had seemed a little sluggish after the break, holding a home run feast against the Phillies again.

-At this point, shouldn’t Lee give the Phillies something as a gift? He’s hit six home runs against them this month alone.

-There would be no Lee without the Phillies. They are precious guys that much.

-Isn’t it amazing on the one hand? The Phillies aren’t a weak team, and their pitchers beat other hitters well. But they only get beaten by Lee?

-It’s compatibility, compatibility. You could call them pushovers.

Also, there were many voices towards the Phillies, who had achieved a record of 17 consecutive losses (?) against the Braves this season.

[Phillies, ‘currently’ undefeated against the Braves! Can they break the disgrace in the remaining two games?]

-Are the Phillies really going to lose all the games like this? How can you lose 17 consecutive games to the same district team.

-That’s also a great record in its own way. If you lose all the games against a team that you meet 19 times in the same district, not another district.

-It’s even more funny that they’re aiming for a wild card even after that.

-Eat shit, you trash. Say that kind of bullshit in your dreams. Because it’s something that will never happen.

-A Philistine came.

-Do you really think so? That it’s something that will never happen? Well… After all, they’ve already lost 17 times. Isn’t it possible to lose two more times?

The Phillies fans were very upset because the worst thing they didn’t even want to imagine was slowly strangling their necks. Like all the moments they had been frustrated this year, with Lee Jung-woo, the evil name, at the forefront.

-Please! Are you really going to lose all the games! Damn, how can I live with my face up!

-If we really lose all the season to the Atlanta guys. I’ll burn my uniform right away. I’ll burn the team bus too.

-Calm down, you Xins. Don’t whine like a girl, believe and wait.

-Damn, that’s how we got here, how can we believe and wait!

As a result, conflicts arose even within the fans, and some sent threatening warnings to the players, although they probably wouldn’t hear them.

[Pittsburgh Pirates, unfortunate narrow defeat! Will they miss the wild card like this?]

[‘Magic Number 1’ Philadelphia Phillies, only 1 win left for the wild card!]

Fortunately, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost, and their win rate also fell, so the gap in the wild card race was still maintained, which soothed them.

So, perhaps relieved, the thought that they had been holding onto until now, that they wouldn’t really lose all the games, that they would win one of the two games, settled in their hearts again.

As if punishing such complacency.

[Jungwoo Lee, 5 at-bats, 4 hits, 2 home runs, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 unfortunate doubles that hit the fence. But he protected the team’s victory!]

[ATL wins the 2nd game 6-4. Winning hit Jungwoo Lee.]

The worst thing they didn’t even want to imagine was slowly strangling their necks. Like all the moments they had been frustrated this year, with Lee Jung-woo, the evil name, at the forefront.